Cast Iron Drain Pipe Replacement in San Diego
We replace rotted cast iron drain and sewer lines under the slab and in the walls with ABS, through tunneling or open access, and we camera everything first so you replace what is failing and keep what is not.
- 24/7, no after-hours upcharge
- One-year labor warranty
- CA License C-36 #1157656
Sound familiar? It is worth a call.
- Recurring clogs in the same drain despite cleaning
- Rust flakes or black sludge coming up with the cable
- Sewer smell inside the house
- Camera footage showing scaling, channel rot, or breaks
- Home built before 1975 with original drains
Cast iron fails from the inside. The bottom of the pipe rots first, so it looks fine from above and leaks from below. We camera the whole drain system and mark every failed section, then replace with ABS, the standard in this county. Under-slab sections are reached by tunneling from outside the foundation where possible, which keeps floors intact, or by opening the slab at the failed run. Wall and crawlspace sections are reached through drywall we patch. Partial replacements are common: replacing the failed kitchen and laundry runs while leaving sound sections in place, with the footage as the evidence.
Book a camera inspection. Every drain, recorded.
We map the failed sections and quote flat: full or partial replacement.
Tunneling or slab access, new ABS run, inspection.
Backfill, slab patch or drywall patch, floors returned.
What this county does to plumbing.
Housing built between the late 1940s and mid-1970s across the county used cast iron drains under the slab, and much of that stock is at or past its 50-year service life today. Aggressive soils on the coast and the volume of grease and detergent through kitchen lines accelerate the bottom rot. Clairemont, La Mesa, Point Loma, Chula Vista, and the older parts of Oceanside and Escondido are where we see it most. The tell is a drain that clogs on a schedule no matter how it is cleaned. Cabling it is polishing a hole.
Flat, in writing, before we start.
Camera inspection quoted flat. Replacement quoted flat per section after the inspection, with tunneling and slab patching included. Partial replacement is always offered where the footage supports it. One-year labor warranty.
A camera inspection of the main line is $335 through an existing cleanout, or $435 with no cleanout access, and the fee is credited toward the work if you proceed with our quote.
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Answered straight.
How do I know if my drains are cast iron?
Look at the vent pipes in the attic or the cleanout: black, heavy, sometimes with a raised seam. Homes before 1975 here almost always are.
Can you line it instead of replacing?
Sometimes, if the pipe still has a bottom. Channel-rotted pipe cannot be lined. The camera decides.
Do you have to break my floors?
Not always. Tunneling under the slab from outside avoids it for many runs. Where the slab must be opened, we patch it.
Can I replace just the bad section?
Yes. That is the most common job.
How long does it take?
Two to five days depending on how much is under the slab.
Is there a permit?
Yes, with inspection before backfill. We pull it.
Get it handled.
Flat quote before any work starts, one-year labor warranty, and a licensed plumber on the truck.